David Hume and the Idea Of Necessary Connection

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes and reviews David Hume's essay, "An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding," in which he attempts to show what we do and do not know about causation. It analyzes Hume's arguments in his essay, particularly with respect to the idea of necessary connection and presents examples of how Hume's arguments can be applied to day-to-day life.

From the Paper:

"Hume's Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding is a remarkable essay, and to grasp it fully requires maintaining the rigid intellectual distinctions that Hume did maintain. Again, his inquiry focuses on what we know about the world, not what the world is or how it behaves. Indeed, Hume concludes that what we know about the world is limited, and we must rely on our limited understanding to allow us to carry on our day-to-day affairs. Hume set himself apart from the rationalist metaphysicians, who wrestled with questions about the nature of the universe, whether or not there is a God, and the immortality of soul. Hume's inquiry was essentially a preliminary to this: how do we know what we know. How can we ask if there is a God if we cannot know what the causal connection is in the world around us."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hume, David. An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding. Harvard Classics, vol. 37. Ed. Charles Eliot. (New York, New York: P. F. Collier & Son, 1910)

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